[Deck] Vial Affinity

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Originally Posted by Xero

It depends a lot on match-ups. If you hit combo or Rifter more than once, you're probably done. Affinity has a good chance against everything else though.

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As of now, Rifter has fallen out of the top tier so very few people will play it and I plan own that trend continuing. The only matchup I'm worried about and I know it will show up in good numbers is Iggy Pop. I feel the matchups with the rest of the field is so good that I'm not thinking about playing another deck at the GP.

This goes for just about any tournament, it comes down to matchups. Hopefully I have some good luck in that, and the byes that I have will help also.

Hi everybody,

I've been playing this deck lately and I'm wondering: how many times have you thought 17 lands not to be enough? I'm used to playing 19.

Thanks,

Robrecht.

Ive been testing 17 just fine in a build without enforcer. Lately however, Ive been messing with 19 land 2 of which being Wasteland.

For a build with Enforcers, 16 is the absolute minimum if each and every one is an artifact land... which will, however, force you to adjust your spell selection such as running additional colour fixers and more in the 0-mana slot than just 4 ornithopters. Paradise Mantle helps in both cases (I run 2 in addition to 4 Vials).

In more conservative lists, with 4-6 non-artifact lands and 4 acceleration pieces, I think 18 is a good number. 17 might be fine with if you run only 2-3 non-artifact lands. If you use Wastelands, count each as half a land only.


I don't feel qualified to comment on Confidant Affinity. While I have tested it extensively. I have not been able to tweak it to a point where I am truly satisfied.

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Originally Posted by Iranon

I don't feel qualified to comment on Confidant Affinity. While I have tested it extensively. I have not been able to tweak it to a point where I am truly satisfied.

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Whats your build look like? I find 4 shrapnal blast manditory to round out the decks loss of enforcer.

Why shrap blast? Isn't fling almost always better when it lets you just go sac all my dudes to ravager/ atog and fling him ftw. It really helped me to win a lot of games that felt unwinnable.

1. If Fling gets countered, you're toast. If Shrap gets countered, you can quickly reload since you haven't used all your resources.

2. Fling is mainly good against Aggro or Combo without counters, while Shrap is better when you have to take Counterspells into account. Most aggro matchups are in your favor anyway, while decks packing counterspells are more difficult to win. Hence, you use Shrapnel Blast to make your iffy matchups a little better.

3. Fling is mostly good on the attack, while Shrap can be used proactively and reactively.

4. Fling is shit without Ravager/Atog, Shrapnel Blast is not. You pack 8 Ravager/Atog at most, while 40-50 artifacts are there for Shrapnel Blast.

I have dusted off my old affinity deck (It was extended legal, back when extended was fun to play)

But I have a quick questionare for everyone who plays affinity

1) How many Lands do you play with?
2) What colors do you play with?
3) Vial, Mox or Mantle?
4) Is there any hidden tech that you are willing to share?
5) Is there any good old articles out there?
6) What is the card that you fear (or hate seeing) the most?

I will answer all these questions when I do some more play testing.

Unfortunately for Affinity, it is already so tight that very little from outside Mirrodin Block is good enough to benefit it.

Affinity is a funny animal. In places like the northern Midwest where Affinity is prevalent, Serenity is a popular hoser. But in most places there is little to no directed hate, giving Affinity the edge it needs to be competitive. If it ever gets too big for its breeches, the hate will come around, and the deck will suffer greatly, etc. etc. Oh, and some control decks have Pernicious Deed as well, and that can be fairly effective against some versions.

1. 17
2. U/B/r
3. Vial.
4. No, not really. If you're a competent Affinity player with experience with the deck in Onslaught/Mirrodin Standard, you should be fine.
5. Look to that era for good articles.
6. Null Rod

19 land
UBR
Vial
No Secret tech but Fling is really good in the deck
I didnt see any articles just some threads about affinity
Null rod eats me along with serenity if I ever play it.
PS. Control can definitely be a bitch to play against and Shrap. may very well be better versus them but doesn't vialing out creatures work against counter control seeing as they either waste a free counter for that rather than ravager etc. Fling however gives you that awesome topdeck ability that gives the deck the combo kill. When you get to the late game and attack for 1 with your atog your opponent feels the need to block it because if not then it could very well be game over seeing as you just dealt them about 14+ damage at the least.

1) 18
2) BR
3) Vial
4) Pithing Needle maindeck
5) Daffinitive Affinity Guide by Mark Young
6) Null Rod


Fling is only better when your metagame is mostly Aggro and Combo without Counterspells. In all other circumstances, Shrap is the way to go.

Lately, BR gives me better results than UBR.

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Originally Posted by Bongo

1. If Fling gets countered, you're toast. If Shrap gets countered, you can quickly reload since you haven't used all your resources.

2. Fling is mainly good against Aggro or Combo without counters, while Shrap is better when you have to take Counterspells into account. Most aggro matchups are in your favor anyway, while decks packing counterspells are more difficult to win. Hence, you use Shrapnel Blast to make your iffy matchups a little better.

3. Fling is mostly good on the attack, while Shrap can be used proactively and reactively.

4. Fling is shit without Ravager/Atog, Shrapnel Blast is not. You pack 8 Ravager/Atog at most, while 40-50 artifacts are there for Shrapnel Blast.

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Fling is also very goog with anything plated. If you dont have a plating, ravager, or Atog in play, your in rough shape already (barring multiple enforcers) so shrap blast in that situation isnt that much better when you have to reach that far. Flinging a plated creature has won me a lot of games i shouldnt have and it was always for more than 5 damage.

I think we all see Flings potential. There are certainly situations where it will deal a good 10 damage for the win, but the benifits are outweighed by the cost of the card. Too much can go wrong when going all in like that. The deck already has the ability to all in with modular, I dont think it needs a spell that requires such a devestating cost. Like I and Bongo already stated Shrap has the mega benefit of reactive damage. If your enforcer or plating bites the dust you deal another 5 with it. Altho Fling can be used like this to some degree it requires a creature and a high power//toughness to work well. Shrap works regardless of the type or size of artifact.

I haven't posted an affinity list in quite some time on this thread. I'll present my following updated decklist that I've been using to pretty good sucess in my area.

Vial Affinity

4 Darksteel Citadel
4 Vault of Whispers
4 Great Furnace
4 Seat of the Synod
2 Blinkmoth Nexus
1 Glimmervoid
4 Aether Vial
4 Arcbound Worker
4 Arcbound Ravager
4 Frogmite
4 Myr Enforcer
4 Disciple of the Vault
4 Chromatic Star
3 Thoughtcast
3 Ornithopter
3 Cranial Plating
2 Pithing Needle
2 Atog

SB

2 Shattering Spree
2 Sphere of Resistance
3 Tormod’s Crypt
4 Chalice of the Void
4 Engineered Plague

I'm always working on the perfect sideboard to the deck, but its always changing to reflect the metagame.

My early version included adding green into the md for Berserk which cut blue for thoughtcast. I do really like thoughtcast in the deck, but sometimes I miss having Bererks for faster wins. Green also added naturalize into the board which I loved and do miss sometimes.

Thoughts and comments are always welcomed.

That is pretty much my list except i run
-1 darksteel citadel
-4 Chromatic Star
-2 Pithing Needle
+1 Glimmervoid
+1 Thoughtcast
+1 Ornithopter
+3 Fling
+1 Atog

I personally like this list because it enables the combo kill which the deck could use to escape those impossible situations.

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Originally Posted by wmagzoo7

That is pretty much my list except i run
-1 darksteel citadel
-4 Chromatic Star
-2 Pithing Needle
+1 Glimmervoid
+1 Thoughtcast
+1 Ornithopter
+3 Fling
+1 Atog

I personally like this list because it enables the combo kill which the deck could use to escape those impossible situations.

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I was wondering what your sideboard looked like? Thats the most interesting part. I haven't found a perfect sb for the deck as of yet.

Right now my sideboard is:

4x Pyrostatic Pillar
4x Pithing Needle
4x Enginered Plague
3x Tormod's Crypt

Against Goblins, do you think sideboarding out Vial so you can name it with Needle is a good plan? It seems to work for me, although if you don't draw any of your needles I can see it being a bad idea.

Has adding Chrome Mox along with Fire/Ice been tested? Fire/Ice, while great for imprint is also versatile, clearing the way for a big swing.. with the tapping or the dmg. I know Chrome Mox is a higher risk for a faster tempo, but thought it was worth considering.

I wouldn't run either. F//I has no synergy with the deck. You have Ornithopters that can fly over blockers, plus you can win without the attack phase. I don't like Chrome Mox. You often have nothing to imprint, making it a 0 cost artifact that does nothing. I'd rather run more Ornithopters, Lotus Petal, or Paradise Mantel if I'm hungry for 0 drops.